From School to Work: Long-Term Employment Outcomes for Former Special Educational Needs Students

Finn Ove Båtevik

doi:10.16993/sjdr.595

Abstract

This is a study on the prospect of long-term employment for former special educational needs (SEN) students. It focuses on how the qualifications and selected life course changes in early adulthood influence the probability of maintaining employment in adult life. The life course perspectives provide the theoretical foundation for the study. The data refers to a longitudinal study of 253 former Norwegian SEN students, who were followed from the time they were in upper secondary school into their mid-thirties. The analysis shows that the probability of being long-term employed is quite low among former SEN students, especially women. However, the probability of long-term employment is significantly higher among women who have achieved a formal upper secondary education qualification when compared to those who have not. Such formal qualifications are important for men as well. Nevertheless, contrary to women, for men, holding a driver’s license seems to be just as important as formal educational qualifications for maintaining employment.

Highlights

The difficulty regarding the transition from school to work faced by persons with disabilities is a well-studied subject (Schriner 2001; Danziger & Ratner 2010; Mavromaras & Polidano 2011)
This study shows that the probability of being long-term employed is quite low for women who were special educational needs (SEN) students in upper secondary education
The probability of long-term employment is significantly higher for both men and women who have achieved formal upper secondary education qualification when compared to those who have not

Summary

Introduction

The difficulty regarding the transition from school to work faced by persons with disabilities is a well-studied subject (Schriner 2001; Danziger & Ratner 2010; Mavromaras & Polidano 2011). A study on the transition from school to work can capture only a small part of the life course of such an individual. An early transition might indicate the successful start of a career, but this may not necessarily always be the case. There is a reason to believe that securing long-term employment is challenging for adolescents with disabilities, as their background might make them more vulnerable in the labour market. The study of longterm employment requires longitudinal studies. The following analysis represents such a study as it discusses long-term employment of persons with difficulty from their early adulthood into their mid-thirties

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion